Bing Thom Architects; Arena Stage Project

History with a cutting edge┬áAfter an extensive search, Bing Thom Architects was chosen to re-envision the Arena TheaterÔÇÖs Washington DC home. The result is a striking structure that knits together past and present and points to the neighborhoodÔÇÖs bright future, as Keith Regan details.  When the letter requesting a submission of interest in the Arena Stage expansion project first landed in the Vancouver offices of Bing Thom Architects, the firm wasnÔÇÖt sure it wanted to be considered.  The theater companyÔÇöone of the oldest and most highly regarded regional centers for dramatic arts in the countryÔÇöhad invited close to 100 firms from Alaska to Chile to participate in the screening process, and Bing Thom Architects intentionally works on relatively few projects at any given time. ÔÇ£We called and they told us theyÔÇÖd heard good things and really wanted us to take part,ÔÇØ says Bing Thom ArchitectsÔÇÖ principal Michael Heeney. A short time later, some of the firmÔÇÖs associates flew to Washington to meet with Arena Stage artistic director Molly Smith and heard her explain the theaterÔÇÖs mission statement: ÔÇ£To produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit.ÔÇØÔÇ£It was quite inspiring, and we got very excited about the opportunity,ÔÇØ Heeney says. Over the course of the following years, Bing Thom Architects developed a bold, sweeping vision for the Arena Stage property, an architectural solution that not only preserves the historic structures where the companyÔÇÖs two existing stages are located but creates room for a third stage and ties it all together under one roof in a way that creates a massive lobby space, all while reducing the intrusion of noise from the neighborhood outside. In all, some 250,000 square feet of space is modified or created through the project. The biggest challenges for the overall project included the desire of the theater company to essentially double its building area on a relatively small site. Also, with increased traffic at Reagan Airport and in the neighborhood in general, it was important to find ways to acoustically insulate the original 1960s buildings from this noise. The two existing theatersÔÇöthe Fichandler and the KreegerÔÇöhad earned historical status in the city, which meant that all modifications required approval by the cityÔÇÖs Historic Preservation Review Board as well as the Commission of Fine Arts. ÔÇ£They place great value on their historical structures and monuments in the nationÔÇÖs capital,ÔÇØ Heeney notes. Bing Thom ArchitectsÔÇÖ solution was to build a transparent structure that encased not only the existing theatersÔÇöproviding sound protectionÔÇöbut also previously unused space in between. That space enabled a smaller, third theater designed for experimental and new works to be built and also for a grand lobby to be constructed that is capable of accommodating audiences from all three theaters at once. ÔÇ£The grand idea is that the shows can all be timed to go into intermission at the same time so that the different audiences will all mingle and find out what the others are there to see and just foster a sense of community that much more,ÔÇØ Heeney says. The laminated glass and heavy timber exterior walls enable the historic structures to remain visible from the outside. Although such wood structures are rare, the designers convinced the DistrictÔÇÖs building officials that they could be as strong and fire-resistant as steel-based structures. The roof that will cover the entire complex features a large cantilever that points toward the Washington Monument, making a grand gesture back to the city. The unique design solution has created some unusual construction challenges, and Bing Thom Architects is working closely with general contractor Clarke Construction and KCM, the project manager. Within the overall space, the new small-stage theater, known as the Cradle Theater, presented its own design challenges. Because attendees would enter the intimate 200-seat theater from the grand lobby space, it could be a potentially disorienting feeling. To ease that transition, Bing Thom Architects designed a pair of nested spiral walls that create a spiral, shell-like entranceway that enables spectators to gently lose the memory of the big space as they walk to their seats. That solution presented another problem, however. ÔÇ£The curved walls created acoustic challenges,ÔÇØ Heeney says, with sound focused in some areas and distorted in others. By working with the projectÔÇÖs acousticians, the Talaske Group, and building a full-size mock-up of the theater wall in the parking lot of its Vancouver headquarters, Bing Thom Architects solved that problem by using horizontal wood slats bent in waves to allow sound to pass through in key areas.ÔÇ£We do a lot of research and development to make our projects possible,ÔÇØ says Heeney. A scale model of the project was also built and put through extensive wind tunnel testing as well. ÔÇ£When youÔÇÖre doing unusual things, you have to be sure theyÔÇÖre going to work.ÔÇØThe story doesnÔÇÖt end there, however, because the Arena Stage project takes place in a larger context. The Southwest area of Washington DC has been part of a redevelopment focus for some time, and Bing Thom has helped contribute to those efforts. The Arena project is meant to link to future plans to develop the Washington Channel waterfront and the neighboring Waterside Mall.The overall project fits with the firmÔÇÖs philosophy of remaining small and giving personal attention from both Bing Thom and Heeney, the firmÔÇÖs principals, on every project. Other projects in the Bing Thom Architects portfolio include the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia, Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, and the unique Central City project in Surrey, British Columbia, which integrates a university and a shopping center. Most of the architects at the firm have a second area of expertise that helps the firm create projects that look beyond the walls of the structure being designed to consider broader implications. ÔÇ£One of the distinguishing features of the firm is that our people tend to have two areas of expertise. We have architects with specialties in such areas as interior design and urban planning, and it makes our team very well rounded,ÔÇØ adds Heeney, whose own secondary specialty is in urban land economics. ÔÇ£Because weÔÇÖre all involved on all our projects, we can bring a lot of different viewpoints to the table.ÔÇØ┬á